My new addiction (other than meat)

Over the past few days, I've been a Consumer Reports junkie. I have researched everything to car seats to strollers (travel systems versus single seats versus side by sides versus linear design) to high chairs to diaper pails. I've researched crib mattresses, baby thermometers, baby monitor systems and lap pads. I've looked a diapers, wipes, baby bath tubs and bouncy chairs. And that was just today.

I


CAN'T


STOP

See, this all happened when we were hanging out with a friend....we'll call him "Jim". I mentioned the tough time I was having figuring out all the different options of all the different types of baby products we need. This next part is the part I will deny if anyone shows up at my door and wants to confiscate my computer to look for incriminating evidence. Our friend "Jim" gave me a piece of paper with his user name and password for his online Consumer Reports subscription---he said "feel free to use it".

Okay, this is the truth...I used to have a membership to online Consumer Reports---I signed up when I bought my last washer and dryer. But since then I've let the membership lapse. So it's really not that bad, right? I mean, at one time I did pay for the service and never used it, so really it's kind of like the universe evening out....right? And not to mention I feel as if I've been handed a golden key to a new kingdom. I can look at what the experts deemed the best product in any category!!! Why buy the "okay" product when there have been tests and more tests done on competitive products!? I can buy everything assured that I got the right thing!

Okay, STOP!!! See? I'm an addict!!! Perhaps I'm so focused on buying everything "just right" because somewhere in my mind I know that I know absolutely nothing about being a parent. Maybe my quest for buying all the right things is me asserting what little control I have over the reality of having not one new baby, but two...at a time....as a first time parent. Hmmmm....that would make sense....I mean, who cares that I don't know how to make a hungry baby with a dirty diaper stop crying! I've got the world's best car seat! And who cares that we don't have one single baby-safe zone in our entire home....we just put a pool in for God's sake...who cares about that when I've done 19 hours of research on strollers!

Only.....what if what they say is true....that every baby is in fact different. Every baby might not like the same things....they might not like the world's best baby gym. I mean, in reaching out to the 4 people I know with babies, I got 4 different answers on what items they deemed were "can't live without". And what one Mom said she loved, another said was useless.

Wait a minute...I just realized...those silly Moms that I reached out to....they probably don't have the same access to Consumer Reports that I do. They probably just bought all the wrong stuff. Yeah, that makes sense...they didn't do the million hours of research that I did....Yes, I'm sure that's it...not that I'm nervous about parenting like I mentioned above...that's just silly, right?